Method of forming rims for wire wheels



May 28, 1929.

cl 5. ASH 1.715.266

METHOD OF FORMING RTMS FOR WIRE WHEELS File 1924 I5 Sheets-Sheet l j j Czar/es avwomtoz g I f altoznm a May 28, 1929. c, 5', ASH 1,715,266

METHOD OF FORMING RIMS FOR WIRE WHEELS Filed 0 t- 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 an-ve/wtoralbum? Patented May 28, 1929.

UNETED ST CHARLES S. ASH, 0F ROYAL OAK, MICHIGANF maze fFl' METHOD OF FORMING- RIMS FOR WIRE WHEELS.

Application filed October 4, 1924. Serial No. 741,524

duced to a minimum by a re-conolitioningof the metal, and dlstortion of the rim durmg" the punching operation is obviated, thereby ellmmatln uncertalnty in wire wheel manufacture, obviating the necesslty for oversize stock rims, insuring accuracy in rim diam eter of the finished wheel, facilitating and" I cheapening manufactureand assembly, and

securing greater tire effioiency and providing fortireinterchangeability. Thepresentmethod also includesa sizing operation wherein the rim, after the operation of forming the spoke nipple seats therein, may be recondiv tioned to eliminate initial strains due to the rolling operation in forming the stock mm, and reduce to the minlmum, the contraction in 7 diameter of the rim under the strain put tracting the rim to density the metal and.

' to strain set up in thereon in lacing and truing the wheel.

With the above and other ends in view, the

invention consists in the method of forming wire wheel rims, which method includes conprevent undue contraction under spoke lacing strains and also holding the rim to the proper size in diameter and againstdistortion, during the operating of forming the nipple seats therein, and then forming said seats while the rim is so held, whereby the operation of forming said seats will not distort the rim or reduce it in diameter and such seat forming operation performed while the rim is held, imparts a set to themetal which prevents subsequent'distortion or contraction due the metal during the seat forming operation. The invention furtherconsists in including i in such method, the reconditioning of the rim after the seat forming operation to relieve the rim from strains setup m the metal and thus reduces to the minimum, the reduction in rim diameter due to the strainput thereon by the spoke lacing when the wheel 1s assembled and further COnS1S qS l$ certain other new and useful; features all as "hereinafter more fully described and particularly set forth 1n the appended claims, reference being hadto the.

accompanyingdrawings, in which g V Figure 1 is a side elevation of apunch press 1 shown-in outline, with a rim holderin place thereon and shown melevation, as llustrating suitable mechanism which may beem tion of the inner. surface or ployed in-carrying out the present method and is illustrative of one means -forvthe purpose which may be employed; Fig. 2 is a front elevation shown in Fig. 1;

F 1g. 3 is a vertical axial section of the same; i f

Fi 4: is an enlarged cross sectionalfview of a slightly modified construction of'rim holdor} the attic er and of rim sizer for use inconnection therewith, and

Fig. 5' is a in Fig. 4.

In practicing'the present method, any suit-r able means may be employed to hold the rim durlng the punching operation and. limitthe rim to a certain fixed diameter.

Aslllustrative of onemethod which may,

be employed in holding the rim,an expanding holder or block is illustrated in the ac-v companying drawings and this holder is so constructed as to adaptitrfor use. upon an ordinary punch press to facilitate the operation of punching or forming thesemi-spheri-' plan yiew'of the device shown cal depressions in the rim forming seatsfor the spoke nipples. It is obvious that'in the practice of the present method, any suitable means for holding the rim and limiting it to and that the punchingor forming of the seats for the spoke nipples may be performed in any convenient manner other than that shown, the employment of the punch press;

showlnbemgv merelyillustrative ofan ill-J strumentahty which may be'employed for the purpose. V v In the accompanying drawing the holder which is designated'as a whole by the 11 1- I meral 1,{is shown as comprising a seriesof segments 2 eachformed upon its outer. race 3 to eonform exactly to the configura the wheel rim 4 which isto be seated thereon by placing the rim thereover and then movingthese segments outwardly to expandwthe holder and limit the rim to theexact diameterdesired,

Thesesegments 2 are mounted in suitable, 7

ed engagement with cylindrical portion 8 of the hub, said nut having an'fouter inclined face 9 to engage inner similarly mclined faces" onthesegments 2. The supporting member orhhub 6 is formed hollow to receive the horn a certainfixed diameter may be employed .85

' tion 8 of its support and forces the segments 2 outwardly within the rim at and'any suitable'means'such as springs 13 may be employed to move the segments inwardly when the nut is retracted. The inward movement of this nut is preferably limited in any suitable manner (not shown) so that the rim mounted thereon cannot becontracted by the punchingoperation to a diameter which is less than the desired diameter of the'linished rim. Should a stock rim be used whichis of less diameter thanthe diameter for which the holder is set when the expanding nut has fully expanded the segments to the proper diameter, such rim will be expanded to the desired diameterand the operation of punching the rim While itis so held,-will give a set to the metal'which is in'expanded condi tion, so that therim will not'contract of itself when removed from the holder but will have the exact desired diameter, and further, the

' f punching ofthe rim while it is held to shape I er forming a die for the punches, said sriin' laterally of the rim by the holder gives a set to the metal which prevents the rim from springing out of true when released.

If a stock run be employed which 1s of slightly greater diameter than the desired diameter of'the finished rim, then the punching operationwhich is performed upon the rim while mounted upon the holder, the hold will be contracted by the punching. opera tion to the desired diameter, closely fitting the expanded holder which is limited in its 3 expansion to adiamet'er which will give the desired diameter to the finished rim.

Obviously the arrangement may be such that one or more punches maybe employed to punch the rims and the hold-e ma be ro'tatively mounted unon the punch press so that the rim may be conveniently rotated beneath the punches, such rotation being performed by hand or by any suitable'mechanical means (not shown) which may operate in t med relation to the movements of the punches. Likewise the expanding of the ically operated by'power; Stock rims are formed strip steel or hot rolled mill-sectionstock." Thishot rolling process tends to lengthen o1 holder may be effectedin any suitable man ner,,e1ther bythe hand operated nut as shown, or by suitable mechanical means'mechanfrom hot "rolled or wood spokes which are placed under compression thereby. In a suspension or wire wheel the rim is subjected to strains put thereon bya tensioning of the Wire spokes between the hub and mm and therefore this strain tends to contact the rim and, due to the conditions of the metal of the rim by reason ofthe methods employed-in its manufacture, the rim is'more susceptible to such strains and may be unduly contracted by the pull of the spokes, and" the rim may continue to shrink in diameter after the wheel is in service, causing reduction in spoke-tension or even causing the spokes to become loose. lt'is therefore important that this condition of the metal be changed or its efi'ect'counteracted,

and this is accomplishedin the present meat 0d. by holding the rim to thedesired diam eter, and While so held, performing the punching operation'which imparts a set to themetal and I counteracts this. tendency ol' the metal to contract under the strain im-- posed upon the rim by the spokes.

It is obvious that the stock rim maybe first contracted to recondition'the metahand then punched, these operations serving. to give a set to the "metal and should a stock rim be employed which is slightly under size, such rim may be, stretched or expanded and then punched, the punching operation'serving to recondition the metal by contracting it and also to give a set to the metal so that the rim willv not change in diameter from that to which it has been previously expanded. I,

The punching operation tends to shrink the rim but in certain instances it may be found desirable to further recondition the metal by further contracting the rim. This reconditioning operation .is particularly desirable wherethe rim is formed from stock which is comparatively soft, as the further reduction' in diameter of the rim renders the metal more compact, hardens it slightly and leaves the rim in a condition to withstand the strains to which it is subjectedin a suspension wheel. a This reconditioning operation may be performed by removing the h'older 1 from the punch press and while the rim-is in place upon the holder. with the segments 2- slightly retracted, perform the sizing operation by eXact desired diameter. Any suitable means bringing a heavy inward force against the r periphery of the rim to contract it to the means for the purpose,'an arrangementof mechanism is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 wherein force these ring segments 14 radially inward against the outer surface of the rim, a beveled ring 16 is provided with an inclined surface 17 to engage like inclined surfaces on the outer sides of the segments 14: and thus by forcing the ring 16 laterally of said segments, the segn'ients 14 are forced radiallyinward to contact the rim 4. This inward movement of the segments 14 is preferably limited in any suitable manner so that the external diameter of the rim l will be of the exact dimension desired and all rims produced will be of the exact desired size and all. distortion of the rim will be eliminated, thus greatly aiding in the assembly of the wheels as well as practically eliminating the contraction of the rim in the assembled wheel under the inward pull of the spokes thereon. Further, rims thus formed will remain, in use, in the condition in which they are put by the operations performed in the present method and this final sizing operation will also insure a. finlshed rim of the exact diameter desired.

Obviously any suitable means may be em ployed for performing this final sizing operation and the contraction of the segments let by the movement of the wedge ring 16.

may be effected by any suitable power means applied in any suitable manner to the wedge ring, or to the means employed for movmg the segments radially.

laying thus fully described my invention,

what I claim is p 1. The method ofform ng w re wheel rims having spoke nipple seats. which method consists in limiting contraction of a rim sub stantially throu hout its entire inner circumference and formingsaid seats in the rim inwardly thereof while said rim is so limited to impart a .set thereto.

2. The method of forming wire wheel rims having depressions forming spoke nipple seats, which method consists-in holding a rim interiorly and liinltlng contraction thereof substantially throughout its entire internal circumference, and forming depressions in the rim inwardly thereof to provide said while the rim is so held and limited and to impart a set to the rim.

3. The method of forming wire wheel rims.

having seats for spokeheads, which method consists in inserting within a stock rim a q holder of an external diameter substantially equal to the desired internaldiameter ofthe finished rim to be engaged by said Tim sub- 1y thereof while so held "to' impart a 'set then forming said'seats in the rim by. a

punching operation performed eXteriorly of the rim with said holder forming the die and means for limiting contraction of the rim. i f

5. The method offorming wire wheel rims having seats forspoke heads, which method consists in contraetinga rim to a desired diameter to compress the metal and forming said seats in the rim while in its contracted condition,'whereby a set is-imparted to the metal to prevent contraction of the rim under spoke lacing strains. I

6. The method of forming Wire Wheel rims having seats for spoke. heads, whichmethod consists in limiting contraction of a stock rim substantially throughout its entire internal circumference to a desired diameter,

forming depressionsin said rim inwardly thereof while the rim is so limited to impart a set to the rim, and then re-conditioning the rim to relieve the metal from initial strains imposed by said previous operations.

7..T he method of forming wheel rims s. The method of forming: wheel rims having depressions forming seats for spokes, which consists in OIH11I1,Q.,LI1(l holding stock rim'to a desired diameter and then forming said depressions in the rim inwardthereto. p

'9. The method of forming wheel rims whichv consists in forming a stock rim to a desired diameter, then forming portions of i the rim inwardly to impart a set to the metal, and finally contracting the rim to the desired rim diameter to prevent contraction thereof, under 'spokelacing strains. 1' i '10. The method of forming wire wheel rims having seats. for spoke heads,.which .method conslsts 1n holdlng astock rim and; limiting contraction thereof substantially.

throughout itsentire internal circumference, forming'portions of sa d run nwardly wh le said rim is so held and limited to impart a set to the metal, and then contracting the rim" to the exact diameter des red for the finished rim prior tospoke assembly;

In testimony whereof I aflix my-signatur'e.

1 CHARLES S. ASHX. 1 

